Children avoid after school kickabouts

http://www.teacherswhocoach.co.uk/

http://www.teacherswhocoach.co.uk/

Government research has established that after school kickabouts are in decline as a number of children avoid face-to-face contact with friends.

The study compared experienced of 15,500 children aged 13 in 2004 to the experiences of 13,100 children aged 13 in 2013. The analysis released by the Department of Education measured children and parental attitudes to school, extra-curricular activities, homework, behaviour, aspirations, socialising and leisure time.

The study found that socialising after school has decreased by almost a fifth as 22% of children mainly spend time by themselves compared to just 9% 10 years ago. The difference between now and then is the introduction of smartphones and social media, the study suggests that physical contact has been replaced by social media and instant messaging (47% of girls said they used digital communications throughout the day).

However as children have begun to stay in more, the study has found that there has been a more positive and closer relationship between children and their parents as 52% of children share a meal with their parents at least six times a week.

Professor of pharmacology at Oxford University, Baroness Greenfield said: “Pupils who haven’t rehearsed looking someone in the eye, interpreting body language and using appropriate physical contact will struggle with social skills when they enter the workplace.”